


Wandlore and Wand Profiles

by PerfidiouslySnatching



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Character Development, Gen, Headcanon, Ollivanders Wand Shop (Harry Potter), Pottermore, This is literally wand profiles and lore, Wandlore (Harry Potter), Wands, Worldbuilding, author's notes, the relationships are simply mentioned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:55:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 5,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25434994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerfidiouslySnatching/pseuds/PerfidiouslySnatching
Summary: Comprehensive wand descriptions for the characters in myAstoria of Slytherin serieswho do not have canon wands. This includes information from Pottermore (or what used to be called Pottermore smh) and descriptions of how the wands fit the characters. More info will be added as the series updates!
Relationships: Astoria Greengrass/Draco Malfoy, Bartemius Crouch Jr./Aurora Sinistra, Hermione Granger & Theodore Nott, Hestia Carrow/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 8





	1. Astoria Green Bean

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Astoria Greengrass and the Muggle-Born Slytherin](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20340886) by [PerfidiouslySnatching](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerfidiouslySnatching/pseuds/PerfidiouslySnatching). 



> Among the earliest things I established when I started the first book were Astoria’s and Rhiannon’s wands. I was thrilled with the canon development of the hawthorn and unicorn wand for Draco, and I wanted to make plot points out of more wands. It was not long after that I developed wands for the other characters for either a) future use or b) my own amusement.
> 
> This took up enough space in my notebook that I felt they were worth sharing. Some wands here are major plot points in my series, whereas others aren't mentioned in my series and are simply headcanons from my notes. 
> 
> For convenience’s sake, every time I pulled from the canon “wand woods” or “wand cores” articles, I say it’s from Pottermore (the site it was originally from). I make no attempt to portray my word as “law,” and I am always interested in other headcanons. Wands are so fun to develop. So, I hope you enjoy!
> 
> As the series progresses, I will update this work.

**Astoria Nesrine Greengrass**

Wand wood

Cherry

Wand core

Dragon heartstring

Wand length

12.25 inches

Wand characteristic(s)

Red and polished, with a curving right-handed handle and a gold band. Very moody.

Development

Astoria’s wand is a major subplot in the series and almost a character in itself. Costing thirteen Galleons, the wand is a beautiful and well-crafted specimen, but it was not Garrick Ollivander’s first pick for an eleven-year-old Astoria. The following excerpt is taken from her father, Adam’s, perspective in _The Muggle-Born Slytherin_ :

> _When [Astoria] was eleven, the family was in Ollivander’s for nearly an hour while the old fellow tried to convince them that a completely incompatible wand had chosen her. Silver lime! The nerve of that man. He must have been trying to sell them the most expensive wand in the shop with no consideration of Astoria’s needs. She ended up with a beautiful cherry wand instead; although, the truth was the wand didn’t matter. It seemed to take her twice the time to cast a spell as her peers regardless of what she held in her hand._

The cherry wand she carries through the series did indeed choose her, but Adam fails to realise that it was not the _first_ choice, it was _his_ choice. By the age of eleven, Astoria had already demonstrated significant irregularities in her magic, which was called “too weak,” “too strong,” “unpredictable,” “temperamental,” amongst other labels. Thus, any difficulty she might have had because of the wand did not really stand out from the difficulties she already had. Astoria’s mother, Estelle, asks her in a letter in _The Muggle-Born Slytherin_ to be careful with her wand, but if she was really that afraid of its instability, we can be certain that she would have removed it from her daughter’s possession. We can assume that, over the years, Astoria’s parents made a scapegoat out of the wand so that Astoria would blame the wand instead of herself.

The difficulty with the wand is not _all_ scapegoating, though; Astoria is repeatedly shown to have trouble channelling her intentions through the thing. By the time her parents let her go to school at age twelve, Astoria’s magic often comes out as explosive. The wand often channels Astoria’s deepest emotions rather than her mental intentions, so we can get a feeling for how much frustration she carries in her unconscious by way of paying attention to how her wand reacts. That “explosive” magic is uncensored emotions, not the prim, proper, and polite girl we see on the outside.

According to Ollivander, cherry wands carry lethal power in general, but “if teamed with dragon heartstring, the wand ought never to be teamed with a wizard without exceptional self-control and strength of mind” (Pottermore).

Naturally, I paired Astoria’s cherry with dragon to facilitate her character development, so that we can see her gain control over both the wand and her own troubles throughout the series. Dragon heartstring is also considered the tough core, and I really liked the way that sounded, because Astoria is very soft on the outside and very strong-willed inside. I also have to admit I enjoyed the pun the dragon core created; Astoria has Draco’s heartstrings as well.

Cherry wands in Western culture have been stereotyped as “frivolous” and “ornamental” according to Pottermore, and the same could be said of the way people look at Astoria. Her social status makes her unreachable to many students when she first gets there, and only those who recognise her for who she is outside the name of Greengrass can call her their friend. Contrary to the image cherry wands have in Britain, in Mahōtokoro, cherry wands are considered prestigious. In _The Haunt of Azkaban_ , there are two transfer students from there, and the nice girl, Manami, couldn’t care less what wand anyone has. However, her cousin Chiyo makes remarks about the cherry and how poorly Astoria uses it in class. An example taken from Astoria’s perspective reads:

> _Perhaps it really was time to try to get a new wand… it would make Chiyo Akiyama and Diane Carter have less to say in Charms…_

Adam Greengrass eventually decides he needs to maximise Astoria’s chances at earning her practical O.W.L.s and tries to get her a new wand in _The Legilimens of Hogwarts_. Astoria ultimately decides to stand up for herself and keep the wand she has worked so hard to master. She is heartened to see Neville Longbottom in Diagon Alley, and it just so happens that he, too, has a cherry after he lost his original in the Department of Mysteries. Neville’s Gran doesn’t want him to have cherry and tries to purchase an English oak. Neville himself doubts the cherry:

> _“The one I have now is cherry,” he whispered. “This was probably a huge mistake…”_

He makes this remark because Astoria is about to turn hers in. But once he and Astoria talk, they decide that the wand chooses the wizard, and they are completely entitled to the powerful wand. Although Neville only appears on the fringes of the story, he is a recurring character, and I enjoyed writing this point of connection.

By _The Curse of Quennell Park_ (which is in development), Astoria has totally mastered her cherry wand, and sometimes its ability to channel her power actually makes her wonder “did _I_ do that?” When other characters use her wand in emergencies, their reactions vary from thinking it’s the worst wand they’ve ever held to not thinking anything of it. Throughout the series, Astoria’s wand serves as a symbol of her sheltered youth as she strives for independence.


	2. Rhiannon Clarke, Chief Gay

**Rhiannon Nicole Clarke**

Wand wood

Ebony

Wand core

Acromantula web

Wand length

11 inches

Wand characteristics

Black and coarse-cut, with a single carved spiderweb pattern at the base. Twisty.

Development

When I was reading through the Pottermore descriptions of wand woods for my characters, nothing stuck out more to me for Rhiannon than ebony wood. According to the official description, it is appropriate for “combative magic,” which references Rhiannon’s history of having to stand up for herself as the only Muggle-born in the House of Slytherin. The description of the wood is full of words that describe Rhiannon’s character –– “non-conformist,” “highly individual,” and comfortable being an “outsider.” Rhiannon’s own band is named Pariah, which is a social outcast or ostracised person. The description emphasises that ebony wands best belong to those who stick to their beliefs and have the courage to be themselves. Rhiannon, of course, did not willingly reveal herself as a Muggle-born, but once the secret was out, she always stood up to bullies, including Malfoy.

The ebony wand is described as having a great reputation, and is even one Death Eaters would use (probably because it looks cool), but Rhiannon got her wand because it was cheap. She reveals that the wand was heavily discounted when compared to normal ebonies due to its experimental core, Acromantula web. Not only was it discounted, it wasn’t even from Ollivander’s. In _The Muggle-Born Slytherin_ , she reveals:

> _“Mine’s an ebony and Acromantula web core wand. I got it from Jimmy Kiddle’s for about eight Galleons, but I couldn’t buy my uniform after that and had to apply for financial aid from the Ministry. I needed the wand more than the uniforms, so I got it first.”_

What is noteworthy is that she makes this comment right in front of Draco Malfoy, who is not only racist towards her blood status, but also rude to those less financially advantaged than his family. So, Rhiannon divulges this information fully expecting a comment from him, and she utterly does not care to be her honest self. However, she may have held some embarrassment of not having an Ollivanderian wand, after all, as seen in this excerpt from her perspective in _The Legilimens of Hogwarts_ :

> _[With Ollivander’s being deserted,] most of the crowd was going to Jimmy Kiddle’s, the place where Rhiannon had no choice but to buy her cheap wand. It sort of legitimatised the place for her, and she watched it a little reminiscently as she waited to purchase her schoolbooks._

Later in that school year, Rhiannon “forks” her wand when casting spells. It is not explained how or why this happened, since it takes place during Draco’s POV, but we can assume that it was from the experimental craft of the wand rather than any problem with her relationship with the instrument. I chose “forking” as opposed to splitting or cracking because snakes have forked tongues, and I wanted it to symbolise that Rhiannon is a genuine Slytherin.

A forked wand won’t be any good, though, so Professor Snape sends her to two teachers who may help: Bathsheda Babbling, who dabbles not only in Ancient Runes but also wandlore for repairs, and Aurora Sinistra, who has inherited quite a collection of spare wands over the years.

Professor Babbling has some trouble procuring more Acromantula web (perhaps Hagrid came to her aid), but eventually, Rhiannon’s wand is repaired. However, it will always carry signs of the mishap. If we know Rhiannon, though, she probably won’t mind, because it will act as a great conversation piece.

Rhiannon’s wand serves as a literary foil to Astoria’s. While Rhiannon’s is cheap and experimental, it always works wonderfully, and while Astoria’s is top-notch quality, it’s extremely fussy and disobedient. The “proud outsider” qualities of ebony also resonated with Rhiannon as a gay character. When Rhiannon is in the Muggle world, she faces prejudice for being a lesbian, and when she is in the Wizarding world, she faces prejudice for being Muggle-born. Rhiannon gives the whole world a big old shrug and continues on being herself.


	3. Weenie Hut Juniors

**Bartemius Jonah Crouch, Jr**

Wand wood

Yew

Wand core

Unicorn tail hair

Wand length

13 inches

Wand characteristics

Pale and polished. High-quality, but whittled slightly in the thumb spot. Inflexible.

Development

> _“Well, now, my boy, what we have here is a match. This is a yew wand, with a unicorn tail hair core. One of my more unusual combinations…” Ollivander says. He’s very cheerful, but the old man in the stupid hat is growing fussy._
> 
> _“What do you mean ‘unusual?’”_

– Barty Crouch Sr opposed to the wand match, as seen in _The Legilimens of Hogwarts_.

Of the original group I developed, Crouch’s was the only wand I deliberately matched with the wood of a canon character, that being Voldemort. At some point, Crouch became aware that their wands matched, which of course only served to feed his fascination with the Dark Lord and his sense of self-importance in Voldemort’s new world.

In Pottermore, Ollivander addressed yew’s connection to the Dark Arts, but dispelled the stereotype that the wood is attracted to them. However, as seen in the memory, Crouch Sr was quite aware of yew’s history. True to form, though, Crouch Sr assumes his _son_ must have attracted the bad wood and views it as a failure of character rather than a simple wand match in a wand shop.

I gave Crouch Jr a unicorn core because it seems the least likely to go with the scary yew. To those who knew him in his youth, the twitchy but witty Crouch Jr seemed least likely to go with Voldemort.

Ollivander says the owner of yew may be a “fierce protector of others.” Crouch Jr sure as hell went out of his way to protect Voldemort, in both action and word. When he is revealed as an infiltrator and reunited with his wife, Aurora, he declared his protection of her and his idealised future. He does not accept that she wants no part of Voldemort’s idea of a future world. Unfortunately, we don’t fully get to see Crouch exercise the gentle nature of the unicorn core or the protective qualities of the yew. In a strange and last-minute decision to protect Rhiannon Clarke, a Muggle-born who has befriended the very few parts of his true self he has revealed through “Moody,” he Imperiuses her because that is what he knows –– his father did that to him. The Imperius Curse was meant to keep her safe in her dorm whilst the Triwizard plan came to fruition; however, Crouch ends up getting Kissed rather than killed, and his magic doesn’t totally die. Rhiannon remains half-Imperiused. During Crouch’s coma, Rhiannon sometimes gets heart palpitations in the night; she feels the magic leave her once Crouch’s body dies.

When Rhiannon forks her wand, she chooses Crouch’s wand by feeling alone, not knowing that it was his. The wand immediately works for her, over her option (and encouragement) of at least three other wands. Without revealing the original owner of the wand, Rhiannon remarks to Malfoy in _The Legilimens of Hogwarts_ :

> _“I might have had an off-brand wand before, but this one was made by Ollivander. And it worked when it was handed down to me. What that means, and what I’m trying to tell you, is that my blood’s got nothing on my magic.”_

Thus, a Muggle-born effortlessly wields a Death Eater’s wand. Much in the way Rhiannon has not parted with the friend who betrayed her, she doesn’t want to part with the wand when her own is repaired. Yew is the only wood that Ollivander explicitly says will sprout trees from their owner’s graves, so like Barty’s prevailing effects on the story, the wand is not all gone.


	4. Sinister Sinistra

**Aurora Mahjouba Sinistra**

Wand wood

Cypress

Wand core

Dragon heartstring

Wand length

16 inches

Wand characteristics

Medium-toned, with a smooth and comfortable handle made especially for the left hand. Unyielding.

Development

Cypress is a tree that was associated with mourning and grief in Ancient Greek culture. Although Professor Sinistra’s character expands well beyond the tragedy she faced at the loss of her husband, this wood is in reference to it. However, a wand is a tool, and the cypress wand can be a symbol of her channelling her silenced grief.

When we first meet Sinistra, we do not know this, but she has already “lost” her husband, since he presumably died in Azkaban. Though solemn and mysterious (and a very tough grader), she clearly is a woman who has coped. However, when it comes to light that her husband was not only alive this whole time, but impersonating Alastor Moody, things culminate in the worst thing of all: she sees him Kissed by the dementor. Professor Sinistra had little opportunity to express her grief the first time round in 1982, since her husband was a hated man, and she had almost _no_ opportunity to cope when he was Kissed in 1995. Of those who would listen to what she has to say, we have some curious characters indeed: Severus Snape, who lost Lily to his own master, and the dhampir Glenda Chittock, who was Sinistra and Crouch’s friend in school. Ultimately, though, Professor Sinistra feels quite alone, and her wand wood echoes that.

From the Pottermore description, the quote “Wands of cypress find their soul mates among the brave, the bold and the self-sacrificing: those who are unafraid to confront the shadows in their own and others’ natures” resonated with me for Sinistra. As a talented Legilimens, Sinistra is both knowledgeable and fearless of the shadows present in human nature. She, of all characters, is most in tune to the complex nature of people and their motivations. Although reserved, she boldly publishes _Thirty Things to Expect from the Dementor_ ’ _s_ _Kiss_ about her husband’s coma, which publicly declares her marriage to him. She then rebuilds her life.

The dragon core matches Astoria’s, which was deliberate, since Astoria looks up to Professor Sinistra. Professor Sinistra is the best master of the dragon core, which carries frightening power. (Her moniker “Sinister Sinistra” had to come from somewhere, right?) The professor, however, mostly uses it for teaching Astronomy and using Atmospheric Charms to move clouds out of the way of her beloved sky. Her long wand is especially suited to this purpose. The combination of a bold wood, a bold core, and an unusually long length caused Garrick Ollivander to remark to her,

> _“My, my, Miss Sinistra, I once imagined this one would be a replacement wand for an older witch. But it feels right, doesn’t it?”_

when she was in his shop at age eleven.

Professor Sinistra’s wand is unyielding, and would not work properly in any hand except her own. This is a nod to her own unyielding nature; the professor does not serve the Dark Lord like her husband did. She does not bow to social pressure at all, in fact, and she lives her life exactly the way she wants, unbothered by the values others try to force upon her.


	5. Flower Girl

**Flora Asrai Carrow**

Wand wood

Pine

Wand core

Phoenix feather

Wand length

12.5 inches

Wand characteristics

Plain and light in tone, without a handle. Rigid.

Development

Unlike Astoria’s and Rhiannon’s, Flora’s wand is never a plot point, and in fact, her wand is not described at length in any part of the story. In a way, though, this reflects Flora’s utilitarian nature: what does she care, as long as it works?

Pine fit Flora’s personality best; Ollivander describes it as choosing “an independent, individual master who may be perceived as a loner, intriguing and perhaps mysterious.” Flora and Hestia, because of their upbringing, have not made many friends, and while Hestia, an extrovert, would have liked to be more social, Flora is totally okay with solitude. Even when she befriends Astoria and Rhiannon, she remains highly secretive about her home life. This is underscored by the fact that Rhiannon, in comparison, is quite candid about the abuse she has suffered at home. Flora does not speak of it, and she carries a wand whose wood is “sensitive to non-verbal magic” (Pottermore).

Flora is an avid learner, and so are pine wands. Of the four roommates, she is the most studious, but she almost never accused of being a nerd. Perhaps it is because her face doesn’t light up when she consumes books the way Astoria’s does at the sight of the night sky. Even though Flora’s wand is not developed, that serves in a development in itself, because she never appears to have any trouble with it, even in tough situations with Dark magic. In _The Curse of Quennell Park_ , we witness:

> _Flora’s wand extended almost seamlessly from her hand as she clutched it tighter and stepped closer. For Amycus had caused Flora alone a lifetime of pain._

I was as certain in my decision to give Flora a phoenix core as I was to give her pine wood. Phoenixes die and are born again, and I see that level of indestructibility in Flora as she tries to make her own life outside of the influence of her aunt and uncle.


	6. Knockturn Peddler Hestia

**Hestia Adhene Carrow**

Wand wood

English oak

Wand core

Unicorn tail hair

Wand length

9.75 inches

Wand characteristics

Made from burred wood, showing strange patterns in the grain. Swishy.

Development

Like her sister’s, Hestia’s wand goes mostly undeveloped, but of course, that is why I am typing this here. Hestia’s wand is, at least, mentioned in _The Legilimens of Hogwarts_ :

> _“Hestia has English oak,” Rhiannon mentioned toward the shelves. “English oak n’ unicorn, wouldn’t you know? Uses it like a natural. They say Merlin had English oak […]”_

Rhiannon is perhaps more impressed with the wood due to its ownership by Hestia than its ownership by Merlin. (But can we blame her? Hestia is pretty cool). Garrick Ollivander says, “A wand for good times and bad, this is a friend as loyal as the wizard who deserves it. Wands of English oak demand partners of strength, courage and fidelity.” Compared to her twin Flora, Hestia comes across as more friendly and outgoing. Even though she has her moments of rudeness (I mean, look at who raised her), she is always firm in her friendship. This is not only a characteristic of the English oak, but of Slytherin’s value of fraternity. Hestia is known to speak out about her aunt and uncle, and she is unafraid to go public with her membership in Pariah in spite of them. She is also the most mischievous in the group, which _might_ be considered a form of courage, since Snape could be round the corner to put her in detention…

Ollivander describes English oak as having an “affinity with the magic of the natural world, with the creatures and plants that are necessary to wizardkind for both magic and pleasure.” This works perfectly with Hestia, who excels in Herbology and Potions (though she practises the arts in her own quirky way). Even as the circumstances change and the war becomes more serious, Hestia is never afraid to have a bit of fun. Hestia’s core of unicorn brings the main group of four full circle; no two of the girls have the same wood or core. Unicorn cores are generally cooperative and kind, and Hestia is often an unsung hero throughout the story. Her liveliness and sense of humour help her friends in troubling times. I had her wand made out of a burr because it would make for a fun appearance (and possibly an even greater penchant for lively magic).


	7. Theodore Nott the Smaller

**Theodore Alaric Nott, Jr**

Wand wood

Larch

Wand core

Phoenix feather

Wand length

10 inches

Wand characteristics

Came with a universal handle, and the handle has been damaged. Now only works for the left hand due to the nature of the scratches. Taut.

Development

> _[A] familiar wand that was whittled with compulsive scratches and bite marks on the handle end just missed her face._

– Excerpt from _The Curse of Quennell Park_

Theodore must be the bravest of all characters because this is proof that he has chewed his wand. You say it is nerves instead of bravery? I beg to differ. He could have picked plenty of other things to chew, such as sugar quills. What a lad.

Larch wands are considered by Ollivander to be “strong” and “durable,” so Theodore’s damage to his wand hasn’t put himself at risk of the wand exploding with magic yet. Larch wands instill “courage and confidence” in users with “hidden talents” who may not even know their full potential. Theodore, who was described in HP interviews as not bothering to become one of Draco’s cronies, certainly has some courage in him, but he often can’t exercise it due to his father’s status as a Death Eater. Theodore has to first figure out what _he_ stands for independently of his father, and then he will see his full potential. I gave Theodore a phoenix core because it is the most unique and “distant” of the three cores Ollivander uses, and Theodore is a complex and distanced wizard himself. At once bossy and harsh, he is also insecure and retiring. He holds fantastic power within him, but he often uses his magic to pull the pilling out of his blankets. He’s friends with Draco, but he sometimes can’t stand him. The Death Eaters would have aneurysms if they found out about Theodore’s crush on Hermione Granger, but Theodore doesn’t take chances in his love life. That's okay - I still love him! Theodore is a hero in the story if you squint, and so a larch wand seemed the same way.


	8. Dafty Greengrass

**Daphne Alecia Greengrass**

Wand wood

Chestnut

Wand core

Dragon heartstring

Wand length

9.33 inches

Wand characteristics

Glossily polished, with a jewelled universal handle. Pliable.

Development

Daphne’s wand is never given “screen time,” but hers is unique in the sense that it never gets lost, damaged, traded, or lent out to anyone throughout the series. I chose chestnut and dragon based on the comment that the combination “may find its best match among those who are overfond of luxury and material things,” which sounds a lot like Daphne. In the rare cases that she acknowledges her own privilege, she tends to flaunt it. Chestnut “takes a great deal of colour from the personality that possesses it,” and in fact, so does Daphne –– she is easily swayed by those round her. I also describe the wand as pliable, like her value system. Daphne, over time, experiences strain on her friendship with Pansy Parkinson, and this is the catalyst to her becoming her own person.

Only after I picked this combination from the Pottermore site did I end up remembering that it matched the wand that belonged to Peter Pettigrew in Deathly Hallows, even though it wasn’t his first wand. I didn’t intend any connection there, but I guess it makes sense that they’re both wishy-washy people. For as unpleasant as Daphne can sometimes be, I strongly say that she would never go the route of Pettigrew!


	9. Tweedledee and Tweedledum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Coming Out Day! 🌈 ⚧️ I just wanted to reiterate that the HP community needs to remain strong for lgbt+ rights, especially trans rights due to recent events. It is NOT always safe to come out; that is a sad reality.
> 
> Anyway, I am still making these wand things because my series notebook is overflowing with extra info. Recently in the series, I posted the chapter with Alecto, which has some of this. Naturally, I am a nerd, so I had even more!

**Alecto Carrow and Amycus Carrow**

Wand wood

Aspen

Wand core

Thestral tail hair

Wand lengths

9 inches (Alecto), 9.15 inches (Amycus)

Wand characteristics

Bristly; Rough-hewn; Homemade

Development

> _“Y’see this wand?”_
> 
> _Alecto held it in a duelling position rather than for show-and-tell. Astoria nodded quickly._
> 
> _“You’ll see it again,” Alecto said. “Amycus and I have the same wand. Not just the same type of wood and core, neither. The wood’s cut from the same tree. The core’s snipped from the same animal. Aspen and Thestral tail hair. They say the Elder Wand had Thestral hair. You know, the bedtime story?”_

_–_ Excerpt from _The Curse of Quennell Park_

Hestia and Flora, who are identical twins, do not have twin wands, but Alecto and Amycus do. Alecto and Amycus stand out from the other Death Eater “families” in that their character arcs are interdependent. Bellatrix, in contrast, is not only developed separately from the other Lestranges, but also the only Lestrange _developed_. Draco, Lucius, and Narcissa Malfoy have separate character arcs as well. Because Alecto and Amycus share a character arc in the canon and are never mentioned independently, or more than a scene apart, I have given them the same wand from the same sources. It also made it easier to develop (lol).

This happily gave me an excuse to use the _Priori Incantatem_ phenomenon in my story, because that wasn't developed as much as I'd like to see in the canon. The Carrows don’t have much reason to aim at each other, but they must have done so at some point because they are aware of what it does. Alecto doesn’t know the name for the phenomenon, however, and simply refers to it as “fireworks” and a “game” they played as children.

I picked aspen because it is described in Pottermore as a duelling and martial wood, and since Alecto and Amycus managed to survive the Battle of Astronomy Tower, they must be half-decent, even if they can’t win under duress. The duelling club Ollivander refers to as using aspen wands was considered “infamous,” and the Carrows themselves are infamous new Hogwarts staff in 1997-98. Ollivander adds, “aspen wand owners are generally strong-minded and determined, more likely than most to be attracted by quests and new orders; this is a wand for revolutionaries” (Pottermore). Voldemort would certainly be an attractive option for these relative nobodies, although, as we'll later see, his management skills are not what they'd prefer.

The Thestral core, specifically, came to me upon learning that a Carrow served in Grindelwald's Alliance in the _Fantastic Beasts_ movie. I decided to make that Carrow their grandmother to tie it all together. Grindelwald once owned a Thestral-core wand (we know which one). Prior to that, he attended Durmstrang and was expelled. I indirectly paralleled this in the Carrows' arcs. Indeed, the Carrows would have likely preferred Grindelwald's cult to Voldemort's Potter crusade.

Outside of Pottermore, aspen has some delightfully otherworldly legends attached to it in real life. According to various snippits across the Internet, wreaths made of aspen twigs and leaves were placed on graves to aid the dead in rebirth. When the wind blows through aspen trees, it is said that their trembling leaves communicate between worlds, and most fantastically, that the sound the rustling leaves make is the whispers of the dead. Aspen is also the tree of the autumnal equinox in Celtic tradition, which worked as a perfect foil to Astoria's connection to the vernal equinox.

The Carrows are extremely proud of their wands since they were handmade by their grandmother, and the legends behind Thestral hair made them feel important. At one point, Alecto even goes so far to say that their wands are better than the Elder Wand. (Of course, she doesn't know that it's a real wand). In _The Tale of Three Brothers_ , none of the brothers ultimately outwit Death. Alecto believes their aspen-and-Thestral combo might be superior in that regard:-

> _“Aspen’s the gateway between worlds. Old tales say if you go to the Underworld, you take aspen leaves with you. So you can come back.”_


	10. Rabbit Spam Lestrange

**Rabastan Harbin Lestrange**

Wand wood

Silver lime

Wand core

Dragon heartstring

Wand length

12.25 inches

Wand characteristics

Whiplike; also, Rabastan has affixed an actual whip to the wand

Development

> _“Wh-What’s that by the way? Isn’t that the Lestrange’s wand_ _‽_ _”_
> 
> _“About the first foot of it is. The rest is for show.”_

-Discussion of the wand’s whip feature

Rabastan’s wand has a dragon heartstring core, as does the object of his obsession, Aurora Sinistra’s, and as Astoria’s. It is also the stereotypical Dark arts core, and Rabastan is definitely somebody who gives credit to that reputation. Rabastan, who is full of himself and extremely dramatic in everything he does, has attached an actual damn whip to the wand (likely after his breakout from Azkaban). Rabastan’s whip accessory on the wand is a reflection of his sense of self-importance, and his choice to extend it with some kind of bullwhip demonstrates his violent and deranged nature. The whip itself channels magic as well, obviously, much like Lucius’s walking stick or Hagrid’s umbrella. However, unlike the umbrella disguise or the ordinary walking stick, if the whip’s fibres are torn off the wand, one can see the scars Rabastan’s magic has left upon the wood.

With the whip, the wand must be wielded differently than a normal wand. All of the wand motions went from “swish-and-flicker” to “crack-and-cross-your-fingers.” He’s perfectly capable of aiming the thing, but he’s also _more easily Disarmed_!

When Astoria went to Ollivander’s for a wand at age eleven, a different silver lime and dragon heartstring wand chose her, but her father got her a cherry one instead. It wasn’t that Mr Greengrass knew that lime-and-dragon was the same variety as Rabastan’s, though. According to Pottermore, silver lime wands were so fashionable that they became extremely expensive in their vogue, and bootlegs started appearing. Adam Greengrass assumed Ollivander was trying to extort him for the price of a silver lime based on his wealth, and he wasn’t fond of the wood’s reputation amongst Legilimens and Seers. After all, Adam wants to keep Astoria sheltered, and both Legilimency and Divination are knowledge-gathering arts. Traditionally, Scythian diviners used leaves of linden (silver lime).

Since Rabastan is the proud owner of this silver lime, that may say something about the wood’s preferences. However, Ollivander makes no reference to the wood’s Dark nature except that it is “mysterious.”


	11. Snap

**Severus Snape**

Wand wood

Holly

Wand core

Unicorn tail hair

Wand length

13.25 inches

Wand characteristics

Naturally light, but stained black. No handle. Fixed.

Development

> _“Holly and unicorn,” Professor Sinistra said, “but he’d never tell. As you have seen, he had it stained black.”_

I developed Snape’s wand later in my notes for fun. I wanted Snape to have the same wand wood as Harry, so this is my headcanon. I used the same unicorn hair trope that we see in Draco’s wand (he’s not “evil to the core”) and Crouch’s wand (he has hidden insides). This is a symbol of Snape’s hidden “goodness” that Voldemort isn’t privy to. Snape’s choice to stain the wand black symbolises his pretending to be a loyal Death Eater. It’s also ~~possible~~ likely that he simply stained the wood black so that it would make him seem more edgy.

I liked the description of holly as protective, and how it picks people who “need help overcoming[…] anger and impetuosity.” That is definitely Snape, who sneers and grumbles his way through seven books. The wand also seeks those on important quests. Snape’s mission holds the later books together and is arguably one of the best plot twists in the canon, so I can definitely seeing a holly being attracted to him. Snape would never acknowledge that he shares a wand wood with “James’s son,” but this shows how their characters are connected.

So why does Professor Sinistra know the truth of the wand? She may have happened upon the information during their shared Legilimency, or he may have told her long ago, back when they had time to talk about such small things.


	12. Nark and Lucy

**Narcissa Athebyne Malfoy** and **Lucius Abraxas Malfoy** had to obtain new wands after the events of _Deathly Hallows_. We might think they would be too ashamed to purchase a wand from their former prisoner Ollivander, but whether they actually tried or not we don’t know — he will not let them into his shop.

Narcissa and Lucius had to swallow their pride and go to good ol’ Jimmy Kiddle’s, where poverty-stricken Muggle-born Rhiannon had had to get her wand. Lucius specifically requested to try out the selection of elm wands. The one that chose him was stuffed with Occamy down feathers. Ollivander would consider the wand substandard, but it works well enough for Lucius (he was in a hurry to not be seen in the shop).

Narcissa didn’t mind having her wand selected the normal way and was presented with many options based on her height and her report of being able to use wandless magic. She ended up with a cedar and unicorn horn wand, which is highly in tune to her. She still will not say where she got it.


End file.
